IIT Kanpur's scientists & cardiologists from India develop an advanced artificial heart

Heart transplant in India has stepped closer to its smooth implementation with a team at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur developing an artificial heart to aid patients with serious cardiac issues. The efforts of this team of 10 developers, including cardiologists from across the nation, has resulted in an advanced prototype of a Left Ventricular Assist device (LVAD) or an artificial heart.

With heart diseases on a rampant rise, numerous heart patients have been advised transplantation. If the trials for this development go successful, these artificial hearts can be easily implanted in humans to save countless lives.

An LVAD is fundamentally an electromechanical device to facilitate cardiac circulation. It can both partially or completely replace the function of a failing heart.

"Trial on animals will start from February or March. After the success of the trial on animals, transplantation can be done in humans in the next two years." IIT Kanpur Director Abhay Karandikar stated.

"India imports 80% of equipment and implants from abroad. Only 20% of the equipment and implants are being manufactured in India. Most of the implants and stents for heart patients are being imported," he explained further.

Hence, both doctors and scientists from across the country must join hands to prepare equipment and implants for successful transplants.

"COVID-19 taught us some hard lessons. Before COVID, ventilators were not made in India. To save the lives of corona-infected, Indian scientists and doctors prepared ventilators in just 90 days. Two companies are manufacturing ventilators in India. Foreign ventilator costs Rs 10 to 12 lakh while Indian ventilator is being made for only Rs 2.5 lakh," Karandikar added.

With the doctor-patient ratio remaining at a poor 8:1000 in India, the medical world is in dire need of more hands and technological advancement.

"The crisis of doctor-staff will continue according to the population and geographical conditions. In such a situation, there is a need to connect the medical system with technology," the IIT-K director added.

With the completion of such prototypes like an LVAD, the process of a heart transplant is slated to get less complicated along with the job of the medical practitioners easing, too. This could be a game-changer in the health-care domain.

-with inputs from IANS